1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automotive seat assembly, and more particularly it pertains to an operating lever device for such a seat assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, in a conventional automotive seat assembly, each of the front seats thereof is provided with a so-called walk-in mechanism for permitting each front seat to be automatically advanced to its frontmost position for the purpose of facilitating a back-seat passenger's getting in and out of the automobile. Furthermore, the seat backs of the front seats are arranged to be forwardly inclined in interlocking relationship with the walk-in operation of the front seats. In this connection, the design is made such that the forward inclination of each seat back and the walk-in operation of each front seat can be effected simply by actuating a back release lever which constitutes an operating lever device provided on the side of each seat back.
As shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, the aforementioned conventional operating lever device, or the back release lever 1 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 7 on which a reclining lever 4 and seat back arm are also mounted in co-axial relationship with each other. By turning the back release lever 1 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, a pin 2 provided on the back face of the back release lever 1 is pressed against the reclining lever 4 serving as an operating plate for the back release lever 1 is thereby turned, as a result of which a seat back B is forwardly inclined and at the same time, a lock plate (not shown) of the walk-in mechanism is turned. In this way, a seat cushion A is advanced as far as the frontmost position.
However, such a conventional back release lever 1 has the following drawbacks: Due to the fact that the back release lever 1 is normally biased by a spring 8 so as to assume the same angular position as the normal seating position of the seat back B, the back release lever 1 is prevented from being projected out of the front or back face of the seat back B, when the seat back B is set to assume the above-mentioned normal seating position so that the possibility is precluded that the passenger has his or her clothing caught at the back release lever 1 or stumbles thereagainst, whereas when the seat back B is forwardly inclined as shown in FIG. 3 or when the seat back B is backwardly inclined to assume its full reclining position as shown in FIG. 4, the back release lever 1 is projected out of the back or front face of the seat back B, so that the aforementioned possibility occurs when the passenger gets in or out of the automobile, and the back release lever 1 tends to be a hindrance to the passenger when the seat back B is set to assume the full reclining position.